Most Absurd Things Said by 'Respected' Journalists About Zenyatta

[Linny]

The reason we don't know "where Z stands" in terms of all time greatness is because she was not challenged to take on the best runners out there, every time, every race.

If you take "Zenyatta" out of the mix and St Trinians (or "Brown Mare") beats up on Be Fair, Taptam, Rinterval and Switch all year. She never takes on Life at Ten or Unrivaled Belle. NONE of her primary rivals are even considered for a try in the BC Distaff. Now she heads to the Classic and loses, by a head to the best older male in the country. Would anyone in their right mind be considering her for HOY?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Linny

The reason we don't know "where Z stands" in terms of all time greatness is because she was not challenged to take on the best runners out there, every time, every race.

Even so, I think it's pretty clear-cut where she stands. She pretty much ran the same exact race over and over on synthetic and dirt. There were times when she failed to run a figure as high as 100 - but those were all very slow paced 8.5f races...where no horse could have run fast under the circumstances.

She was better at 10fs than 9fs - and a touch better at 9fs than 8.5f. With a true pace to work with - and at a 10f distance - and being trained to deliver a peak race from John Shireffs - she's a 110 type horse under those most optimal conditions.

Many top class deep closers over history are as consistant as her. Festin pretty much lived in that 110-to-114 range every race and did it while traveling on a killer schedule and facing some rock solid top older males. He did run a 121 one time at 9fs - but only because Farma Way and Jolie's Halo engaged in a vicious pace war through 44 and change fractions which gave Festin the setup of a lifetime - and allowed him to go from 17 lengths back midway on the backstretch to 7 in-front at the wire.

You have to rate Zenyatta the #1 older female of the last decade - even though there were top females capable of running a few points better on peak and holding that form for as many as five straight races like a Riboletta did.

When you go back to names like Personal Ensign, Princess Rooney, Lady's Secret, Bayakoa .. absolute killer older females...that's where Zenyatta clearly start to rate a cut below.

[Rudeboyelvis]

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[Antitrust32]

i bet she's wishing she was in So Cal still..

[Linny]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Even so, I think it's pretty clear-cut where she stands. She pretty much ran the same exact race over and over on synthetic and dirt. There were times when she failed to run a figure as high as 100 - but those were all very slow paced 8.5f races...where no horse could have run fast under the circumstances.

She was better at 10fs than 9fs - and a touch better at 9fs than 8.5f. With a true pace to work with - and at a 10f distance - and being trained to deliver a peak race from John Shireffs - she's a 110 type horse under those most optimal conditions.

Many top class deep closers over history are as consistant as her. Festin pretty much lived in that 110-to-114 range every race and did it while traveling on a killer schedule and facing some rock solid top older males. He did run a 121 one time at 9fs - but only because Farma Way and Jolie's Halo engaged in a vicious pace war through 44 and change fractions which gave Festin the setup of a lifetime - and allowed him to go from 17 lengths back midway on the backstretch to 7 in-front at the wire.

You have to rate Zenyatta the #1 older female of the last decade - even though there were top females capable of running a few points better on peak and holding that form for as many as five straight races like a Riboletta did.

When you go back to names like Personal Ensign, Princess Rooney, Lady's Secret, Bayakoa .. absolute killer older females...that's where Zenyatta clearly start to rate a cut below.

I agree. She was a model of consistency but I don't think she ever was asked to run against the best horses available, even if there were no Bayakoa's or Lady's Secret's much less Skip Away's or Cigars. Hell, she didn't even face Life at Ten at her best, which is pretty good, by today's standards.